Safety attachment for gas-fixtures.



o. 791,839. I PATENTEI) JUNE 1905.

. W. H.-SWIFT.

, SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR'GAS FIXTURES.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 28. 1904 Patented June 6, 1905.

' UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

WILLIAM H. SWIFT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE P. SWIFT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR GAS-FIXTURES- SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 791,839, dated June 6, 1905.

Application filed July 28, 1904-.- Serial No. 218,463.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. SWIFT, of Brooklyn, in the borough ofBrooklyn, New York city, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Attachments for Gas-Fixtures; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention has for one of its salient objects to provide a safety attachment for gasfixtures adapted to automatically lock the turn cock or valve controlling the flow of gas to the burner-tip when said :cock is turned off or to'position to cut off the flow of gas to the tip.

Another object of my invention is to pro vide such an attachment which will not interfere. with the intentional turning of the stopcock to open position to turn on the gas.

A further object of my invention is to provide adevice of the character described which can be readily attached to gas-fixtures of various sizes and shapes and readily adjusted to suit its conditions of use, and yet other objects of my invention are to provide a device of the character described which is simple in construction, of low cost, and'efiicient and reliable in operation.

With a View to attaining these and other ends my invention consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described. and specified in the claims. v

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a gas-fixture of an ordinary type equipped with a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of. the attachment shown in Fig. 1. Fig. I is a side elevation showing a modified form of attachment to the fixture.

Throughout the drawings like numerals of reference refer always to like parts.

In the drawings, 5 indicates agas-pipe provided with the ordinary turn-cock valve 6, having the usual flattened transverselyextended handle or finger-piece 7. Suitably secured to the gas-fixture is a locking member for the turn-cock, preferably comprising a fiat plate pivotally mounted in a support and normally maintained in position to confront the handle 7 of the turn-cock on both sides of its axis of rotation when the turn-cock is turned 05, the locking member being arranged to yield to pressure and to move to position to permit the free turning of the handle 7 when desired.

In the specific construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, 8 indicates a supporting member, preferably of 'L shape. 9 indicates a looking member, preferably a flat plate having a wide head 9. The laterally-extended or head portion 8 of the support 8 is preferably provided with a depending lug 8 arranged to fit in the recess 9 of the locking member 9. 10 indicates a pin pivotally secured to the plate 9 upon the lug 8 The locking member 9 is so disposed relative to its supporting member 8 that its motion in a downward direction is limited to a position substantially at right angles to the axis of rotation of the turn-cock, While the said plate is free to move upward to a distance sufiicient to carry its head 9 above the flattened or handle portion of the turn-cock. Where the handle of the turn-cock is below the pipe and the support 8 depends from the pipe, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the weight of the locking member 9 tends to hold it normally in locking position, as illustrated in full lines; but to supplement the action of gravity and to make the device operable in conjunction with turncocks having handles located above their pipes I prefer to provide a spring tending to maintain the locking member in looking position. In the present illustrative construction 11 indicates the spring secured'at one end to a suitable ear 9, projecting from the locking member upon the side of the pivot 10 opposite the head 9, and at its upper end suitably secured to the support 8. To provide adjustable means for securing the support 8 to the pipe 5 the extended stem 8 of the supporting member 8 is preferably flattened and slidably arranged in a groove in the frame 12 of a clamping device, said stem benently thereto.

ing adjustably secured in its groove as by a set-nut 13. The clamp-frame 12 is provided with two projecting arms 12 and 12 the latter having, preferably, a serrated upper surface, as indicated at 12". let indicates a bearing-block provided with a serrated under surface adapted to interfit in the serrations 12 and provided with an upper surface curved in cross-section or otherwise suitably shaped to conform with the exterior contour of the pipe 5. 15 indicates a movable clamping-block, preferably secured to an adjustingserew 16, extending through the upper arm 12 of the clamping-frame. These parts constitute a clamp for securing the supporting member into any convenient part of the gas-fixture, as obviously by placing the clamp to include the pipe between the upper and lower blocks and adjusting the screw 16 the device may be firmly attached to the pipe.

In use the clamp is so situated on the gasfixture that the head 9 of the locking member 9 may confront the handle 7 of the turncoek when the latter is in the closed position, (indicated in the full lines in Fig. 1,) the stem 8 of the supporting member being vertically adjusted in the clamp to position the lockingplate 9 in suitable relation to the turn-cock handle. When the turn-cock is in closed position to cutoff the gas-supply from the burner, the locking member 9 falls directly in front thereof in position to prevent the cock from being turned inadvertently or otherwise to position to permit the escape of gas without first elevating the locking member to unlocking position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Should it be desired, however, to turn on the gas, the locking member does not interfere with the operation, as in grasping the handle 7 the finger of the operator raises the locking member 9 against the slight tension of its spring 11 without any noticeable effort and permits the cock to be turned as readily as though the locking member were not present. The'loeking member cannot, however, again return to its locking position until the cock is turned fully off, so that in turning out the light the user has but to keep turning until the locking member drops down as far as its locking position or until it strikes his finger to assure himself that the turn-cock is in position to fully cut off the gas-supply.

In Fig. at I have illustrated a construction which may be conveniently employed where it is desired to build the attachment integrally with the gas-fixture or to apply it perma- In said drawing, 18 indicates the supporting member permanently aflixed in any suitable manner to the gas-fixture. In other respects the construction shown in Fig. 4 is the same as that illustrated in Fig. 1.

While I have herein described my invention as an attachment for gas-fixtures, it will be apparent that it might be applied to any piping system wherein are provided turn-cocks the handles whereof are flattened or otherwise made eccentric to an axis of rotation, and I do not desire to be understood as limiting the use of my invention to gas-fixtures alone, nor do I desire to limit myself to the exact construction described for purposes of a full disclosure, as it will be apparent that the construction is susceptible of many modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination with a turn-cock providing a valve member having a slender stem portion and a transversely-extended handle, of a locking member adapted to engage one extended side only of the handle and arranged to normally confront said side to prevent turning of said handle, said locking member being pivotally supported and arranged for movement upward to confront the slender stem, to permit rotation of the handle.

2. An attachment for a pipe having a turneock providing a valve member with a slender portion, and a transversely-extended handle, adevice comprising a support adapted to be secured to the pipe, a locking member comprising a relatively wide plate adapted to present its end to confront one extended side of the handle only on opposite sides of its axis, said locking member being vertically movable to bring its end opposite the slender stem of the valve.

3. The combination with a pipe and a turncock therein providing a valve member having a slender stem portion, and a transversely-extended handle, of a support detachably connected with the pipe, and a locking member having one end connected with said support and its other end free for movement, the free end of said locking member being associated with the valve-handle to normally confront an extended side thereof to prevent turning of said handle, and arranged to be vertically moved to confront the slender stem portion of the valve, so that the valve may be turned, the locking member being readily removable from its association with the valve without disturbance of the relation of said valve to its pipe.

4. The combination with a pipe and a turncock therein providing a valve member having a slender stem portion, a transverselyextended handle, of a clamp comprising the frame 12 and adjustable jaw 15, the support 8 vertically adjustable in the clamp, and a locking member having one end connected with said' support and its other end free for movement, the free end of said locking member being associated with the valve-handle to normally confront an extended side thereof to prevent turning of said handle, and arranged to be vertically moved to confront the my own I aflix my signature in presence of two slender stem portion of the valve so that the witnesses. valve may be turned, the locking member being readily removable from its association 5 with the valve without disturbance of the re- Witnesses: I

lation of said valve to its pipe. GEORGE M. J AOKSON,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as REUBEN RILEY.

WILLIAM H. SWIFT. 

